Apple Hong Kong instates iPhone lottery to combat rowdy scalpers
Faced with an influx of grey marketers and incidents of repeated violence over sales of the iPhone 4S in Hong Kong, Apple has turned to a safer, more secure system for divvying out new stock of the handset to customers each day.
An update to the electronic's maker's Hong Kong web site now presents customers with a lottery system, by which they have three hours each day (9am - 12pm) to place a request for a specific iPhone model.
Customers who are selected will receive an email by 9pm that evening with instructions on picking up their iPhone at a specific time the following day. The Apple Store IFC Mall in Hong Kong has since halted sales to walk-in customers, deferring all local customers to the new system.
Since its launch in Hong Kong this past November, limited supplies of the iPhone 4S have seen scalpers flood the city, spurring altercations and creating random acts of violence that have marred the Apple experience and jeopardized the general safety of legitimate customers.
According to one report, scalpers receive $500 HKD ($64) to wait in line for their ringleaders, who look to export the unlocked phones to mainland China, where they are not only more expensive but also come locked to Apple's official carriers.
As part of its new lottery system, Apple is asking that all customers who request an iPhone provide their government ID.
Comments
"Instates" is not a word, Katie.
instate |inˈstāt| verb (usu. be instated)
set up in position; install or establish:
"Instates" is not a word, Katie.
Should've said "to or will instate"
Yes, the present tense is not technically correct. It has already been instated.
I wouldn't mention it, but so many people have trouble with this apostrophe-with-plural thing, who can they count on besides Apple Insider for exemplary English?
AppleInsider, where grammar is more important than news.
Would've been nice to see some Kung Fu fighting in the video but it was very orderly and boring, how do we know that's not the extras hiring line for the next Godzilla movie?
instates = 3rd person singular of instate (present tense)
Yes, the present tense is not technically correct. It has already been instated.
Despite the fact that I find the grammatical arguments here to be annoying...
Yes, "instates" is a word (you don't see that form of it all that often, but it's still a word). Yes, it's third person singular, present tense. No, that's not a mistake.
Present tense is the accepted standard for news headlines, so it's fine here. An example from the NYTimes home page right now: "2 Americans, Fearing Arrest, Take Refuge in Cairo Embassy". Another from the WSJournal: "Fed Survey Finds Banks Still Cautious to Lend". The Americans already took refuge, and the survey already found... but that's not how you write headlines.
Should've said "to or will instate"
It would have been better to say "installs" or "establishes". Present tense is correct for headlines.
Or "Apple Hong Kong combats rowdy scalpers with iPhone lottery"...
...or, "Apple Hong Kong righteously combats evil scalpers with brilliant iPhone lottery". You know, to better fit with the site's theme. Or, while we're at it, "Apple Hong Kong battles evil agents of Google with brilliant iPhone lottery, leapfrogs Android in Q1 estimates" with DED as the byline.
Appleinsider Title and Apple Solution sound good to me...
Anyway, I understand that this option is not viable because it would ruin the reputation of the company. Apple needs to find alternative assemblers and parts suppliers, outside of China to diversify the geographic and political risk.
Would've been nice to see some Kung Fu fighting in the video but it was very orderly and boring, how do we know that's not the extras hiring line for the next Godzilla movie?
Why would there be any kung fu fighting? There wasn't any KKK eating Happy Meals in the States waiting lines.
Why would there be any kung fu fighting? There wasn't any KKK eating Happy Meals in the States waiting lines.
I understand what I hope was your lame attempt at humor -- but to compare a racist, vile, hate group to a group that practices martial arts is way over the line. I think you watch to many dubbed movies!